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The following list indicates some of the major series held by the Archives: it is not comprehensive and further details will be added. (Archives keep records together as series: series are groups of records with the same provenance kept together because they are of similar format or informational content). Please contact the Manager, Archives & Records, with any research enquiry or for further information on the holdings.
A Guide To The Archives Of The Australian Museum was published in 1989 (3rd edition), and lists the holdings to that date. The GUIDE should be available from major libraries. Since that time, new accessions have been regularly received and processed by the Archives. Researchers should to contact the Archives Section to discuss their specific enquiries.
All enquiries relating to actual collection specimens and artefacts should be directed to the relevant Collection Manager.
Major categories of archives held:
Australian Museum Trust Minutes & other papers
in particular:
- Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meetings 1836- [series 1]
- Minutes of Trust Committees and Sub-Committees 1869-1966 [series 2] - these include the Scientific and Publications Committee, Finance Committee; House Committee and other short term committees
- Meeting Attendance Books 1853-1943 [series 4]
- Curator's Reports to the Trustees 1882-1918 [series 24]
- Index to the Curator's, General and Secretary's reports [series 34]
- General Reports to the Trustees 1882-1925 [series 25]
- Secretary's Reports to the Trustees 1889-1916 [series 26]
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Major Correspondence Series 1837-1949
The following outlines the major correspondence series until 1949, and the indexes/registers to the correspondence. Until 1927, when subject index cards were compiled, there is no subject access to the correspondence: searching is by name of correspondent (person or institution). Generally, searching also is by one or two year periods, although two compilation volumes give indexes to names over the period c1880-1906 [see below]
series 6 Outward Letter Books 1837-1923
- copies of outward letters signed by the Curator or Secretary; volumes 1 to 4 (1837-1874) are manuscript; volumes 5 to 56 (1874-1923) are letterpress copies; some of the volumes have an A-Z to names of correspondent at the front.
series 7 Letters Received 1853-1883
- correspondence classified by an alphanumeric code eg 'C.10.68' referring to 'Subject.Subheading.Year'
- series 14: Catalogue of Letters Received provides an index (on index cards) to series 7; a guide to the correspondence classification schema is also held with the index
series 8 Letters Received 1883-1888
- loose correspondence filed chronologically; registered numerically each year eg '34/1884'
- series 15: Register of Letters Received is a register of series 8, and lists, in numerical order, the correspondence received 1883-1888, with details of sender, address, date, subject, whether destroyed and reference for any reply.
- series 16: Index to Correspondence are 2 volumes which provide an index to the surnames of correspondents.
series 9 Letters Received 1889-1926
- loose papers arranged chronologically, and within year, by first initial of surname of correspondent and then numerically within surname subgroup eg 'B26/1914'
- series 20: Register to Correspondence is 13 volumes recording the registration of incoming correspondence by year, and within each year, alphabetically by surname of correspondent.
There are two compilation indexes which provide alphabetical indexes to surnames of correspondents over several years c1880-1906
- series 17: Index of Correspondence c1881-1906 25 small volumes, with individual leaves, giving surname and letter reference number
- series 18: Index to Correspondence c1883-1893 1 volume giving surname and letter reference number
series 10 Correspondence 1927-1949
- loose papers arranged chronologically and then numerically ordered within each year eg '129/1936'
- series 21: Register to Correspondence (3 volumes) is arranged chronologically, with each letter within the year receiving a sequential number
- series 22: Catalogue to Correspondence 1927-1956 (index cards); there are indexes by subject and also alphabetically by correspondent; the indexes covered 2 years at a time
series 12 NSW Department of Public Instruction Correspondence 1889-1926
- loose papers; the Australian Museum was under the control of the NSW Department of Public Instruction from 1889-1926
series 49 Curator and Secretary Private Letter Books 1875-1919
- letterpress volumes of outward correspondence:
- vol.1 - E.P Ramsay 1875-1877
- vol 2 - E.P Ramsay 1877-1884
- vol 3 - E.P Ramsay 1891-1894
- vol 4 - R Etheridge 1891-1911
- vol 5 - E Waite & C Hedley 1893-1911
- vol 6 - Secretary 1907-1915
- vol 7 - Secretary 1916-1919
- vol 8 - A.J North 1908-1916
- vol 9 - A.J. North 1916
- vol 10 - Stores & Entomology 1890-1918
- vol 11 - Secretary 1888-1906
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Collection records
Registration of the Collections is carried out by Collection Managers, and in-use Registers are held by them. All access to the collections is by arrangement with the relevant Collection Manager.
The oldest registers [Palmer, A Register, Historical Register] are held by the Archives. Documentation on the collections, including the purchase, donation or exchange of specimens and artefacts, is held by the Archives. Some of the early records include:
- Accession schedules 1879-1956 [series 56]
- Purchase Schedules 1883-1924 [series 55]
- Exchange Registers pre1874-1926 [series 58]
- Exchange Schedules 1883-1924 [series 62]
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Exhibition files
Information on exhibitions is held in a number of series. Documentation on exhibitions has increased since the 1970s with the use of project teams to develop and plan exhibitions.
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Financial records
including:
- General Account Ledgers 1875-1968 [series 90]
- Balance Sheets 1881-1926 [series 91]
- Cash Journals 1914-1966 [series 93]
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National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife Records
The NPI was established in 1969 to compile a photograph of every Australian bird species. In 1977 it was expanded to include Australian mammals, and in 1984, reptiles and frogs. A series of publications featured these photographs. As well, collections of historic black & white bird images were collected, which are now held by the Archives.
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Newscuttings
including:
- General series of newscuttings 1892-1955 [series 179]
- Australian Museum newscuttings 1971- [series 180]
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Personal papers - Australian Museum trustees
including:
- A.W. Scott Papers 1842-1890[series194]
- W.A Haswell Correspondence 1875-1925 [series 39]
- G.A Waterhouse Papers [series 41]
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Personal papers - Australian Museum staff
including:
- George Bennett Papers 1833-1840 [series 37]
- Anthony Musgrave Papers 1895-1955 [series 131]
- Elizabeth Pope Papers 1943-1977 [series 133]
- W.S. Wall 'Notes of a Journey...' 1844 [series 265]
- Gilbert Whitley Papers [series 139]
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Personal papers - acquired collections
including:
- Charles Marshall Notebooks & Diaries 1927-1933 [series 148]
- R.H Mathews [series 149]
- Arnold McGill Papers 1913-1988
- Scott Sisters Papers and Drawings [series 192-193]
- Michael Sharland Papers 1899-1987 [series 191]
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Publications
- Annual Reports 1853-
- Australian Museum Magazine 1921-1961
- Australian Natural History (ANH) 1962-1995
- Nature Australia 1995-
- Records of the Australian Museum 1890-
- Guides and Handbooks to the Australian Museum
- Catalogues of the collections 1837-1900
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Staff Records
- Lists of Employees 1853-1920 [series 74]
- Social Club Papers 1920-1977 [series 117, 182]
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